Acne Skin Care - Teen Acne Care Knowledge Base

Teen Acne Care Knowledge Base

Which company has the best facial (cleansing/acne care/toning/moisturizing/makeup) products for a girl teen? Your choices: a) Clean & Clear b) Proactiv c) Aveeno d) Neutrogena e) Johnson & Johnson f) Maybelline g) Dove h) Vaseline i) Life j) L'Oreal k) Olay l) Garnier m) Biore n) Covergirl o) Other? What is it?

Whats a really good skin care product for a teen? Im african american and I am going to be going back to school soon and i need to know a good skincare product to use other than clean and clear,neutrogena,ambi,proactive,or noxema.i have combination skin and i get like 1 pimple a month but that pimple always leaves its friend the acne scar so i need to know a product that will help keep my skin clear and can be bought in stores.

Does your skin get better after the teen years? I've heard a lot about that most teens get acne because of their hormone imbalance causing more oil production and that usually for most their skin gets a lot better after the teen years. I have had acne since I was like 11-12 years old. First it started out small, to mild, to worse, and now it's gotten REALLY bad like all over my face and body and I'm 15 now turning 16 in April. I use ProActiv and took Minocycline but it doesn't help that much. My dad only had little acne for like 1 year during his teens but I've been battling it for like 4 years. Just wondering.. can your skin actually get better starting in your early twenties? I don't want acne forever. No one in my family ever has had bad skin! And I have a pretty good diet. And I take care of my face. =( And PS- About the hormones which increase the serebum, do the hormones get back to normal after puberty as well?

ACNE SKIN CARE ROUTINE? IMA TEEN WITH OILY SKIN. morning; -cetaphil gentle face wash -cetaphil moisturizing lotion night; -neutrogena oil-free acne wash -cetaphil moisturizing lotion -100% tea tree oil (spot treatment) OR morning; -cetaphil gentle face wash -cetaphil moisturizing lotion night; -cetaphil gentle face wash -100% tea tree oil (spot treatment) INFO; ive tried the neutrogena oil-free acne wash in the past and it did work but it was over drying so i changed to cetaphil and its great i have recently bought tea tree oil for a spot treatment but i dont know if the neutrogena and cetaphil will be too harsh for my skin if i use them together.

Whats a good skin care treatment for teens? I really need a skin care product cos im really embarressed about my appearance because of really bad acne and pimples ect. Im thinking about getting that proative solution.

Adult & Teen Men who have acne producing red pimples...? Do you ever use any kind of concealer, makeup, or powder to cover really red breakouts? If yes, do you care that makeup is "girly" or you just care that you look good and ready to face the world in the morning? If no, is it because its too "girly" or just because you dont care or need to.

how can i get my 13 year old daughter to take better care of her face.? my daughter is 13 and has acne not severly but she gets acne and i know she isn't taking proper care of her face. i have taken her to different stores to see different products to use, had a personal one one with a mary kay rep. i guess i am just at a lose.i had sever acne as a teen and it was torture kids are mean and i just want to help her in any way i can to not have to go through mean kids.

Acne even though I take super good care of my skin and body?? I cleanse, tone, and moisturizer every day and night, and at night I add a spot treatment to my pimples. It's not so much acne that is the problem, but my T-zone is red and has acne marks left over. How do I get rid of this, and why won't they go away? My skin genetics are pretty good, my mother had beautiful clear skin, and my dad had pretty okay skin (occasional zit but not horribly bad). I am a very healthy eater. I do not like fast foods, and unlike the vast majority of teens I try not to eat too much sugar (diabetes runs on my dads side of the family, so I take extra precautions to food) Finally, I excersize a lot, and wear Non-comedogenic makeup very lightly (Almay Nearly Naked foundation but just a teeny dab, becuase I don't need too much, with an Almay powder over it)

Does anybody know any Acne Treatmens for African-American teens or males? Hi.. I've tried alot of skin care products but they rarely don't work... But if anybody used any skin care products and they work please tell me or if anyone has use homemade remedies.. Any Information is greatly appreciated.. Thanks...

Which skin care brand is best: Olay, Neutrogena, or Clean and Clear? I am a teen with combination, acne-prone, and sensitive skin I like Olay because they have good moisturizers I like Neutrogena because they have good cleansers I like Clean and CLear becasue they are cheap and easy to follow HELP also which products from these brands would you most recommend?

Is accutane only delaying my acne? I am now an 18 year old male. I first took accutane about a year ago for about 6 months when I had acne ranging from mild to medium-severe, and it had fantastic results. After i stopped taking it acne was not even an issue anymore. Then after about 5 months the acne slowly but surely started coming back. Now I am on it again and it is woking but taking a little longer than the quick results the first time. I was and am now taking 1 pill a day (40) mg i believe. My questions are: 1. Is me taking accutane ruining my bodies natural way of dealing with acne? My brother had some mild acne issues in his teen years but his body naturally took care of it. Should I just wait out the embarrasing acne rather than taking accutane. Can accutane actually delay the acne stage for later years? 2. Are my symptoms/accutane history average for accutane users, and what can I expect for results? 3. Will accutane ever permanently rid my face of acne? Thank you for your time reading my question.

Is accutane ruining my body's natural way of dealing with acne? I am now an 18 year old male. I first took accutane about a year ago for about 6 months when I had acne ranging from mild to medium-severe, and it had fantastic results. After i stopped taking it acne was not even an issue anymore. Then after about 5 months the acne slowly but surely started coming back. Now I am on it again and it is woking but taking a little longer than the quick results the first time. I was and am now taking 1 pill a day (40) mg i believe. My questions are: 1. Is me taking accutane ruining my bodies natural way of dealing with acne? My brother had some mild acne issues in his teen years but his body naturally took care of it. Should I just wait out the embarrasing acne rather than taking accutane. Can accutane actually delay the acne stage for later years? 2. Are my symptoms/accutane history average for accutane users, and what can I expect for results? 3. Will accutane ever permanently rid my face of acne? Thank you for your time reading my question.

What should the complete face care regime for teens and what are the products you recommend? Thanks =)? Skin Care for oil and acne prone skin.

are all guys like this? ok i hav a friend who is a boy and he just thinks im beautiful. ill say im kinda pretty with an average body but i have pimples! mild teen acne. do guys even care if a girl has lots of zits or acne? or is it just him....... (that doesnt care)

What can I do about my oily, adult acne prone skin??? My skin is driving me crazy. I had very, very minimal acne as a teen, I am now in my 30's (this started around 23) and my skin is extremly oily, and because of this it gets many large embarassing bumps. I wash my face twice a day with neutragena oil free face wash. I feel like I am only doing it for my health because it does nothing for me. I have tried everything over the counter, as well as dermalogica, and proactive. I do not have health insurance and cannot afford the enormous derm. visit. This is seriously upsetting me because it feels like no matter what i do I can not get this to go away. I feel like this is all people see when they look at me. I also feel like it makes me look like I dont take care of myself because my skin is always so oily, this is embarrassing. What can I do differently? If anyone has a solution I would be greatful. Please no jabs, as this really is difficult to ask about.

severe acne problem? When I was a teen, I had no acne whatsoever, but as soon as I hit 20 I broke out badly. I tried everything under the sun to get rid of it.. I tried benzoil peroxide and salysidic acid face washes and scrubs, clindamycine, perscriptions, clay masks, clearasil, proactive, free acne, microderm abrasions, and even toothpaste! When those didn't work, I tried natural rememdies like mixes of herbs, garlic, turmeric, milk, lime juice, cucumber, honey, hot sauce and all sorts of other things. I even tried olive oil because I was told that it was good for pulling out the oil on your face. How? I didn't care...I'm just desperate to try anything. Heck I'd even try salami slices if someone told me they were good for getting rid of acne. (I know they're not, but...) Is there something I'm missing? I have a good diet. I eat fruits and veggies, I avoid red meats and fatty foods, I drink tons of green tea, I eat plenty of foods with garlic and hotsauce, and I exercise regularly. What am I doing wrong?

Black/Hispanic Beauty Question: Good facial skin care products? I'm a mixed black and hispanic teen, and it's been hard trying to find good skin products. My skin is not that Beyonce complexion, yet it's a similar color, it's always dry becuase I'm constantly washing my face. I doin't even really get pimples but blackheads which are horrible, and make my face always seem so dirty. Basically I'm wondering if anyone knows a skincare regime that'll get rid of black heads, minimize pores, mosterize my skin, and even my skintone from all those dam acne scars! I've already heard of Proactive, I have it.

Acne treatment - Make sure im doing it right? Okay. Just to make sure that I'm on the right track with caring for my face. I don't get pimples a lot. Maybe 2 times a month. I use Nutragena Acne Stress prevention and also Nutragena blackhead scrub. I use both of them every day and they seem to be working fine. I still get occasional breakouts if I forgot to scrub places. (Top of nose, temples, forehead) Whenever I get a pimple i usually put milk on it to dry them out. Usually works for me. (2-3 days) My mom says that shes been doing it since her teen years and its worked for her even since. But, the problem is. I have quite a few pimples on my forehead. People say that this is because of my long hair always covering my forehead. I always wash my forehead with acne prevention scrub, so I don't know why its not working if the rest of my face is fine. SO IM BASICLY ASKING.. Do you think this skin-care treatment is good? What could I do to improve it or take away & why am I still getting pimples on my forehead?

how come some teens don't have acne? i'm 17 i have noticed that some teens around my age either in my school or outside have clear skin, like as if they never had ance ever in their life. is it a genetic thing? or is it becuase they take care of their face really well?

Anyone, whose beat acne, I really need some advice...? I'm in my teen years right now, and my acne is getting the better of me. I've had it since grade 7. At first I didn't care. But, now, in high school (grade 11), its really limiting me. I"m more to myself, self-esteem is a rollercoaster ride daily, and I can't ask the girl I really like out. I know that even though the over the counter drugs and medication work, only for short term,and the acne will rebound after. So, anyone got any tips or suggestions, i'm willing to consider everything, except Accutane, Proactive, or anything in this area. THnx

I hate my Acne. Can anyone help me!?!? Hi, I'm in my teens and I absolutely HATE acne! I get most of it on my fore-head and I've finally got rid of all my black heads. I take real good care of my skin - I don't use foundation or any make-up, I wash my face about 2-3 times a day with this exfoiliating face wash which supposedly prevents spots. I use this clean and clear spot cream which reduces them in four hours, sometimes it works but most of the time it just looks the same. Within one hour or washing my face, it just gets oily again. My Mom actually had loads and loads of spots when she was younger, and she told me that oily skin actually increases the size of spots. I've also read that healthy hair is good for spots too, and so I wash my hair very often. Can anyone give me some help? Thanx :) Help..................................................................

Anti-Aging products and Acne prone skin (for men)? I am a 28-year-old asian guy who enjoyed acne-free beautiful skin when I was in my early teens 'til age 26. It all went downhill from there. Acne attacked my skin and now I look 'ugh'. Fortunately, with help from dermatologists my battles with it has stabilized though I still have acne scars and occassional acne on my oily skin. I'm getting older and I know by age 30 men should start using anti-aging products to combat skin aging. The problem is dermatologists forbid me from using any moisturizers (even those that are high-quality) and limits me with a facial wash and toner only (completely skipping 'step 3' of skin care). I admit it has done help, my acne problems have stabilized. But I'm worried about my skin not getting any anti-aging treatments and it's showing signs already. This is quite a problem for me because all anti-aging products are all in moisturizer form (milk, gel, cream, mask, and emulsions) - all things which I can't use because my skin reacts to them negatively.

What make up can I use to cover my pimples, visible pores, shiny skin and redness around cheeks? So my skin has not been looking good since I've hit the teen years. I have a few pimples (not acne) and they almost always occur on my cheek or under my mouth towards the chin (I guess these are my most oily spots). Also you can see my pores on either side of my nose and my nose always goes shiny with spots of oil during the day (looks gross when I look in the mirror so I always try and avoid it). In general the skin on my face goes shiny/oily. Also I have some redness around my cheeks as well. What make up would be best to use in my situation and how do I apply it? Any specific brands or products you recommend? I have hardly used it in the past but my self esteem and confidence have hit an all time low I have a very hard time interacting with people and just want to avoid social situations altogether. I know the sensible thing to do is to take better care of my skin so these problems would not occur in the first place but I am not having much luck :(

for teens only, what is your favourite skin care and your daily make up?? i use dermalogica (anti-bac wash, multi active toner, oil control lotion, medicated clearing gel) for my skin care regimen. and i use mac studio fix for my powder, bobbi brown creamy concealer kit, loreal double extend for mascara, and tinted lipbalm spf 15 by mac. i wear them as my daily makeup to go to school. what is your daily make up to go to school??and ur skin care?? do u have good skin (free from acne)?? please answer, thx ;-)

best acne/facewash for teens? im 14 i have mild ance on my chin and some whiteheads also on chin and a few unclolored bumps on my cheek. i have large pores for my age and i go tanning almost every day which i know is bad for skin but im not going to stop so please dont mention that. im bulimic which may be a problem because of the imbalances and all that but i was wonderin whats the best facewash you know of? i currently use proactiv 3 step system and that just isnt working for me. i dont care if its a drugstore brand if its a system if u have 2 order it online or cost or WHATEVER i just dont care i need flawless skin! help?

New to Make-up, would love ANY advice!?!?!? Okay, I'm 14, going into the eighth grade, and I was thinking about experimenting with make-up. I don't want anything noticeable, just something to hide the shiny redness of teen skin. Any advice would be great. And if not make-up (i don't wanna look like a cheapo barbie doll, no offense) anybody have any tips for skin care to get rid of redness, large pores, and some average teen acne? specific products would be helpful. thank you! forgot to add. i have blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. also, i have a reallllly fair complexion and freckles. don't know if you needed to know that... haha, once again. prolly would be helpful if you knew what kind of look i like...which is natural. i don't want to look like a rainbow or something, i'm not punk, not preppy, i'm just a normal girl. actually i'm a math nerd (55th in the whole state!) so i definitely want to keep the smart girl thing going. okay, you know enough now right?

Kid...Teen...Adult? I am a 14yr. male and i have some acne. I was wonderng if acne gets easier to take care of or control the older you get? Also can you recomend me anything, ive already been to the doc. and the stuff he said to use isnt workin to well. Thanks

Why does my acne never go away? I've suffered from minor acne ever since I hit puberty. I'm in my late teens now, my skin itself is a bit better, but there's a problem: Every pimple that broke out on my face, all the way back from when they first started, are still on my face. I don't remember picking or using any too-harsh products on them, so I don't know why they just won't go away. They're everywhere on my face, mostly on my chin, my forehead, and there are these really ugly clusters of brown spots on both my cheeks that I remember I had since I was 13. I have oily skin, so somehow this makes them look even bigger and more red, and it really makes me feel self-conscious. I hate going out in the sun because I always think people will notice them. I'll most probably go to a dermatologist soon - do you know what sort of thing's he'll recommend? I really, really hate that every zit I have stays there, no matter how persistent I am with a skin-care routine. Please help.

Bad sking care? HELP!!!? Ok so I am 16 yrs old and my skin is well it's better then some other teens, but I have some acne and I also have a lot of blemish and uneven skin areas, and a lot of oil. Some acne blow up and cause major problems... What can you suggest. (I currently use Oriflame Blemish control, Oriflame Spot Treatment, St. Ives Tea Tree Clearing wash, St. Ives Scrub and Clean& Clear Benzoyl Peroxide gel...) I use all of them properly and I moisturize my skin once in a while to prevent drying and flaking and oil... IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL, EVEN -COLORED, TONED, Smooth, Blemish-free skin??? (perhaps something traditional)

Scar healing help? So I've found ways that work to help control my teen acne through a healthy diet, nutrition supplements, and all natural, usually home made skin care products such as facial masks.But aside from the pimples I still get on occasion such as when that time of the month comes around and/or when I've been lazy about doing facials and/or my eating habits, I'm now left mainly with acne scars.I don't want to undergo any type of invasive methods such as dermabrasion, skin grafting, ect. but the scars kind of bother me.I know that most of them, with a healthy lifestyle and the treatments I use, will heal themselves eventually.However, I would like to know of any other natural and safe ways to help at least some of them heal quicker.

I need help with taking care of my face.....? ok well i dont say that i have acne or anything, its just that i have pimples or whatever what you like to call them. i want them to be gone before school starts. i want to have clear and smooth skin. i have a combination type of skin. does anybody know what kind of products should i use, and get them from drug stores, that really work and wont make my skin to dry, and dont cost to much????? because my mom says its just pimples, they'll go away in time. she says its cause im becoming a teen(im 13). but i still want them to be GONE!!! i dont want to go to a dertomalogist(not sure if i spelled it right). Thanks alot!!! i dont really wnat to use proactive. all of the people that i know said that it doesnt work. and isnt proactive for like the real acne????

HELP! Is this a good skin care routine!? I am a teen girl, oily and sensitive skin, with some acne Morning - Zapzyt Acne Wash with aloe and chamomile - Olay refreshing toner - neutrogena acne stress control acne gel - olay all day moisture lotion SPF 15 Night - neutrogena fresh foaming cleanser - olay refreshing toner - zapzyt pore treatment gel - neutrogena healthy skin night lotion once a week i use biore self heating mask that's it, is it okay, do i need to add or take away anything?

Is it okay if I switch to clinique from using proactiv? I've used proactiv for 3 months now... hasn't completely cleared i have few pimples... but red marks left by previous acne. I'm in my mid teens. I want to try something like clinique... but I'm afraid its like proactiv because its pricey... Did anyone have any luck with that skin care line? What should I do??

face care?! help!!? okay, i'm pretty sure i have dry skin, and its not smooth anymore! i seem to have "pimples" but they're not red(well a few are)--i can't get rid of them! i'm 14 by the way, i like to know how to have healthy skin without anyone of these stuff on my face and these are 4 pics of the face-- http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1525.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1524.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1522.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1519.jpg bad right? are those bad pimples? so is it acne? also could you recommend any products i could use..i'm a teen, so i don't want anything that is expensive, so that i can get a clear and clean face which will be glowing? thanks! ahm..stuff that i get in australia..'cause i'm not in US

help! face care question??!? okay, i'm pretty sure i have dry skin, and its not smooth anymore! i seem to have "pimples" but they're not red(well a few are)--i can't get rid of them! i'm 14 by the way, i like to know how to have healthy skin without anyone of these stuff on my face and these are 4 pics of the face-- http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1525.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1524.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1522.jpg http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd141/allknowsthat/IMG_1519.jpg bad right? are those bad pimples? so is it acne? also could you recommend any products i could use..i'm a teen, so i don't want anything that is expensive, so that i can get a clear and clean face which will be glowing? ahmm i'll like the products to be found in australia...some stuff frm US you don't get them here thanks!

ACNE on my poor sensitive skin. pls help me.. :(? helo everyone. well u see.. my skin is vry sensitive. if i just rub my face like wif a finger.. it turns red.. n when i wash it it becomes red. if a cosmetic doesnt suit my skin it will cause brkout or sumkind of wound.. or blemish i think. how do i find out wich facial wash suit me the best? because i've been changing it quite often.. from blackberry facial mask to dove soap to..water360degree facial wash.. then now to clean & clear facial cleanser.. =( my pimples are really bad. even though they are small at first.. as days go by they become vry sore n big n lumpy n red. and they take months to cure.. the scar remains for vry long too. even worst.. when i think they are curing..they start to sort of activate agn. like have pus n stuffs.. or bleed. =( pls help me!!! i dono if i can have clear skin al lthe time, but wud anyone tell me a gd way to take care of my kind of skin?? pls dun recommend a dermatologist.. becoz my parents will say.. its just teens thing n wun lemme go

I seem have all these problems physically with myself all the time? It started with lot of pimples and acne problem in my teens, which was really worse. It really degraded my esteem. Then because of the pimples i started having all this pigmentation and scars on my skin, which was also severe. Somehow i went for microdermabrasion and glycolic peels and got rid of all that, and gotta glowing skin back, which i have right now. but after that i started to have scalp acne, which was also worse, i still have it. I even have this big patch of pigmetation on my shoulder, which i dont know from where it came about. It is really disgusting, though i am a pretty girl I cant ever be perfect. Because of this scalp acne i have to have short hair while i used to have nice long hair sometime back. I dont know how to deal with all these problems. Really make me go crazy. I dont even have anyone to share it with, since my mom died ling back and sharing it with friends brings about insecuruites, i dont have any woman close to me. What do i do. Life has really... Additional Details 6 hours ago put in a situation where i cant control anything. Loosing my mom had had severe consequences on me, since i never had anyone to talk to or ahre with growing up, i was always alone. No family memnbers or anything. Almost ostracized from the whole world. I have big dreams which i am not able to realise cause of all this. I have nearly lost all of my friends. Broke up with a guy sometime back. I sometimes feel so helpless cause i just cant have a grip on my situation. Growing i always cried and found myself different from other kids, they were from happy families, i was not. i belong to a broken home and still am. i had to take care of my brother who was 3 when my mom died and i was 10. I still have to my house hold chores while other girls enjoy with their lives. i feel so helpless sometimes. 6 hours ago I also had this woman who used work for us (household chores and all), ahe turned my dad against me, i wasnt able to do anything since i was just growing up. She damaged my growing years even more. I always told my dad about her behaviour but in the end i was to be blamed always. I used to cry my nights out, while other kids were studying. It was really hard. Hoew do i get my life in control. How can God make someone so helpless? I always expected motherly love from people around me, but i never got it ever, never from my dad, neither from any guy in my life. I was always the one to be left alone with no support. but in the end i am to be blamed for everything. What do i do?

i have a terrible skin problem ever since i was a child? ever since i was born i had terrible skin,my skin was dry and cracked all over i looked like a scaled fish the doctors said that my skin would heal and get better in time as i grew but this is not the case, i am now 20 years old and i have tried almost every cream out there and non seamed to work.i was kind of confused during my teen hood because i had a severe case of acne and i was told that acne only affected people with oily skin,my skin was dry and cracked and it peels often. because of my skin i cant really go into the sun if i do then my skin will get burnt and start to shed, which is really embarrassing because i cant even go to the beach.its killing my social life when ever i go out in public i either have to go out at night or i have to ware long sleeves and long pants which makes me feel weird,imagine going to the creek dressed like an Eskimo,i really need some advice on how to take care of my skin,list creams/lotions etc anything that would help.

Is clinique or proactiv better? i dont care about price of either nor do i care if you get more amount or a free facial mask yes i am a teen and i get acne but mainly on my forehead which one is better?

plantogen, is it really that good? im 14 years old and i just recently had a teen facial thing because my acne was getting really out of hand(i have pale skin so it was really noticable) she told me that i should stop using clean and clear and to use this plantogen stuff, well it worked the first week but then it would do this pattern when my skin would be clear one day and then completely disgusting the next, has anyone tried this skin care line...have u had good experiences with it???did u eventually switch???

I'm not sure if I might have an STD? I had sex with some girl which later told me that she had HPV and that she thought that she got it before we had sex. I immediately went to the doctor and he did tests for HIV, and like a ton of STD's. Two days later he calls me and says that I'm clear that I have nothing to worry about. However I have noticed that I have so very tiny bumps on the very tip of my penis. They are the same color as my penis head. I read online that you get little tiny bumps when you have HPV, but they are white. I also read that some people have these bumps because their hormones might be really active. I've suffer from acne through my teen and adult years (I'm 28 now and still have mild acne), so some of my hormones are in fact very active. I don't have any symptoms of STD's like pain, burning, itching, or unusual discharge. Everything seems normal. The problem is that I recently started having sex with my girlfriend and she just started having unusual discharges before her period is due. The thing is that she is having blood clots with little white specks. She went to the doctor and was told that she was normal and that it was probably an infection. However she has been acting really weird ever since, and seems depressed and doesn't care about hanging out or talking on the phone that much (exactly how I felt when that girl told me she had HPV and she might had given it to me). I'm scared that maybe she got something from me that I don't know I have. Do you guys think that maybe I have something that is not manifesting any symptoms?

how can i get a girl if im not in her league? im a nice guy..im shy but not too shy..i have friends..i have ambition..i like to try new things..i have nice eyes..im in the air force..i care about people..but i dont think im an attractive person..im only 5'6 which is very short for guys..my skin isnt the clearest cuz i had acne as a teen..im a little bit heavy..and ive been through alot of REALLY messed up stuff in my life so I know I have baggage..how does a guy like me find a girl when there are millions of guys that can easily grab her attention?

Out of nowhere skin problem? I used to have bad acne in my teens but around 16, it all went away (religiously taking care of my face) and since then (now 26) I’ve had clear skin with the occasional acne right before menstrual cycle. But now I notice that my face is a) breaking out and b) very oily. I have not changed anything…still using the same daily wash. I have about four zits on my face which is highly unlikely for me and my skin is so oily. What do you think could be the reason for this? Any suggestions on taking care of oily skin…never had this problem before.

Has anyone used "restylane"/dermal filler/face area? My older brother has a LOT of acne scars from his teen yrs. & he's still self-conscious about it. He also has REAL deep wrinkles on the sides of his mouth area. I was reading about restylane online for wrinkle scar filler. It said it lasts longer than collagen injections~IT LASTS almost a year. SO anyone ever try it? And how long did it last for you? I read it's around $700/syringe. Would ONE sryinge take care of both sides of one's mouth creases? WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCES? Thank you :o)

How can i get my bf to accept who he is, and take off his shirt in summer? My bf as a teen had really bad acne, he dropped out of year 10 cause he could not deal with how his face, and his back looked. He underwent some treatment and now all he has is some small stuff on his back and chest, some lumpy scars. I have tried to show him that nobody would care, asking him to take of his shirt every chance we are alone together...i touch it.. give him back rubs... he understands that i don't mind, but as summer is coming up, i would like me and him to be able to go to the beach without him stressing about his back. Any ideas of how i could show him it doesn't matter? He is 21. as i said, he does not have acne anymore, just scars from it. I am his 3rd gf, he has only ever had the courage to be able to tell me, when we first started dating he wore thick jumpers so if i did ever hug him i couldnt feel any scars. but finally when i kept asking why he always worse jumpers and always jumped away when i went to touch his back he told me about it. i know how upsetting it is to him.... but i would hate for him to never get over it and have to live with it forever. Always ashamed.

White things in scab? Being a teen, like most, I have acne/skin problems. Mainly around my chest and breast area. I have many stress issues how I deal with stress and the way I do it is ,as gross as this may seem, pick zits. :roll: Now sometimes I get a bit carried away, and end up making scabs on the said acne areas. In this case my left breast. This scab has been here a wile, about 2 weeks, But Ive been taking care of it by often applying alcohols and other germ/infection killers. I just got out of the shower and I accidentally wiped away my scab and Exposing the tissue underneath it was white but it wasn't infection or puss. and this small hair-like thing was poking out the middle of the scab. I looked closer and grabbed my tweezers and pulled it out. It looked like a zit, but it was longer and stood straight up and left a small yet deep hole in the scab approx the same size of the "zit" but I think It may be a ingrown hair..but I only get these on my breast. Any ideas on what this little white "rod" is

should I stop taking birthcontrol with my man? my boyfriend and I we're thinking about having a child and I can't fathom having a baby by him, he's ugly, his family has a long line of crooked teeth and horrible acne in their teen years, and his penis is kinda small for my likings (4 inches..) and I just think he would be a horrible father because of these faults, hes a very nice and caring man, he paid my car notes when I was out of employment, and housed me all for free, but I just don't know about having a kid with this small in the pants man, we've been trying and I've secretly been taking birth control because I'm scared of what kind of kids his genes would produce, because if I had an ugly baby, I would imediatly disown it, so to all of you ladys out there, what should I do? I don't want to leave him or tell him I don't want to have his babys because he's still paying for my car, just one more year of payments and I can finally dump him but any advice on my situation? Thanks. DUH if I leave him he will stop making the payments on my Kia!!!!! no I would leave it at the lawndromat like the last ugly kid I had. im not mean im real ok! and im cute n sweet you haters!

Blemishes and pimples on my chin. Help.? 20 year old male. Pimples and blemishes on my chin are starting to become a real nuisance. I haven't had any real problems with acne through my teens. In fact my skin then was a lot better than it is now. I seem to be more prone to break outs these days and even my skin tone isn't as smooth as it used to be. Since I started needing a shave every 2 or 3 days, it's all gone down hill. I follow all the recommended steps eg, washing face with warm water first, rinsing face with cold water after shaving and applying a moisturizing after shave balm. My chin is the main problem area for pimples. I am currently using the nivea for men range if that's any help. I use the oil control purifying face wash and the shave gel for sensitive skin (my skin isn't overly sensitive but i like this gel). Any suggestions for other men's skin care products are welcome.

Adults: Were we as concerned with the first day of school as teens now? I keep seeing questions about first day of school outfits, hairstyles, acne, moisturizer... Give me a break! Did we care that much?

Anyone know about functional cysts? Any dr.s in the house? I was diagnosed with a functional cyst last week. My lower back has been killing me. They said it was a large mass then said it was a 2.17 inch cyst and it was nothing to worry about it would go away on it's own. I also have symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. Hair grows on my upper lip (I do take care of) mood fluctuations, weight gain, pimples/acne (when I never did as a teen). They only did an internal ultrasound. Does anyone have any advice?

Why are Americans so prudish? I saw a news program today that was saying that some new Clearasil ads were too "raunchy." But when they showed the ads, I thought, at worst, they were suggestive. They didn't show any skin and it was presented in a humorous way, not in a sexual way. This was on CNN Headline News. For one, I don't care, I'd much rather hear about what's going on in the world or how we're ever going to get out of Iraq, rather than hear some people argue about teens and sexual values related to some stupid acne ad. It seems to me that Americans have no problem with watching gratuitous violence, but get upset if it's suggested that young people think about sex. I think we've got the wrong priorities.

Is it worth going to a dermatologist? I have had moderate acne since I was 14. I went to the dermatologist a few times as a younger teen and found that none of the medications or creams were doing much. Since then I've been on my own, just using over the counter products. I'm now 22 and still have some slight acne problems, but I'm mostly dealing with taking care of the scars and some mild acne here or there. My insurance does not cover dermatology visits, and I am using tea tree oil mixed with an oil free acne wash to clear up acne which has been doing a great job. I am using Bio Oil, Vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, and am taking fish oil supplements to help with the scarring. I have only been doing this for about a month now and see some decent results. My questions is this: Is it worth going to a dermatologist when it's going to probably be extremely expensive? Are there any other over the counter products I could order to help me rid myself of mild acne and the moderate scarring I have that would save me a trip to the dr?

Skin Help ? Please, Thanks! :)? hello there guys, i having problems with my skin im am still a teen. im wondering how i can get rid of these visible pores and wrinkleness on my face also i have brown dots from acne since my childhood, and it doest seem to be going away. What can I use to get rid of this? and anything I should put on my face everyday? How should I care for my skin etc... ps: i'd like to try stay away from productions if possible, since they might be not products here in my country, but please list if you can... note I am a boy.

Please help and give your input!? Hi. Ummmmm...I was just wondering if it's normal for teen girls to feel ugly. I used to not care about that, but now I always feel ugly. I'm in 10th grade. I can't even face a guy, because I'm afraid he'll think I'm hideous. Every day @ lunch I go into the bathroom stall and comb my hair, etc.. I am too worried and it's hard feeling unattractive when you're in high school and have to do a lot of schoolwork and gradually grow up and stuff. I've never even had a boyfriend and I get acne. I constantly feel like the geeky, awkward girl who doesn't get a second look by anyone. I don't know how to fight this...I'm also typically the "quiet one" and I feel like how I look is one of the reasons why. It's hard looking around and seeing other girls getting all this attention and people who seem completely happy and confident. Sometimes I feel so depressed. It's also hard when the other girls in my family are completely gorgeous (turn heads) How can I learn to love myself when I feel so insecure And I look around and I always feel like the white girl...my skin is so white and sometimes I wish I was dark so that I could blend in idk whyyyy

Can you read the first little bit of my novel....thanks for your time....just a few paragraphs would be great! Chapter One The white, warm sand rubbing against my body soothingly. The colorful palm trees is all the rave. Crisp, clear refreshing ocean tumbling into the beach with great determination. All you see is beautiful people wearing nothing but beautiful bathing suits which they probably spent hours and hours trying to find, to get something spectacular. I look back and see this magnificent hotel complex and all of the amenities I could possibly think of. The cool ocean breeze flows over my body while the sun beams light to give me a wonderful free tan. A perfect bronze with a hint of red which will hopefully turn to tan later. A nice refreshing glass of cola filled to the brim with crushed ice and of course the cool sun umbrella. This is so relaxing and wonderful. This is the life. Nothing can wreck this perfect moment. Wait, this is to good to be true. ARG. ARG. ARG. ARG. I knew it! I knew it! It was just a dream again! I can't believe I had that dream again. This is unbelievable. This is the third time this week that I've had this dream and I want it to come true. Too bad I'll never be able to go on vacation. Well it's six o clock. Sorry for all of that fuss but I am just so sick of having that dream. I quickly hop into the shower and wonder whether I will ever get to experience what I experience in my dream. I mean everything is so calm and peaceful I just can't understand why I keep on having that dream. Everything is so perfect, there has to be more to that dream than that. Maybe tonight it will be extended so I can see what's happening. It's probably a sign. Maybe, no never mind. I put some bread in the toaster, I'm still half asleep but I have to hurry up so I can catch the carpool with Jacob. Every other day or so we switch drivers so that we use up less gas. Jacob is totally my best friend in the whole world and I hope he will always be. We are always there for each other when one of us needs a helping hand. I grab my toast, spread some peanut butter on it and head out the door to make my way down to the parking lot where I wait for Jacob to show up. He's a little tardy, sometimes more than others but that's just who he is and as best friends, we have to live with each others annoyances. A few minutes later I see Jacob running out of the building like there was a huge fire in the building. I quickly look up out of habit but see that Jacob just wanted to hurry to the car because we are a couple of minutes late and usually with traffic, a couple here adds ten somewhere else. We both hop into the car once Jacob beeps the horn to signal that the Burnt Orange 2008 Ford Edge is unlocked. Jacob puts the sport utility vehicle (SUV) into reverse and speedily races through the parking lot of the apartment condos backwards. After almost hitting a pole I yell at him to put it in drive and he listened for his life, literally. If you know what and where Toronto is and have ever been there then you know where Jacob and I (Mark) live. By the way, I'm Mark Hatchet. You won't notice my name often through the story because it is written in first person. If your doing some school project about a character then you should probably know some things about me but your not getting off easy because I am going to scatter information about me all over this novel and by the end you will know me like I'm your best friend. Any who which is not a word but it sounds cool, Toronto is Canada's biggest city. If you are not familiar with Canada then check the globe! All Americans should know where Toronto is and that it's near Buffalo. So now at least some of you know where I am. Jacob and I live right near the 401 which is a convenient highway but usually has traffic. We speed down the on ramp to find that we can zip around cars as we fly a couple of kilometers over the speed limit. I look back to see people giving us the finger and of course hear honking from all directions but we could care less. As long as we don't die we are better off doing this. Jacob sees a police officer a few hundred meters up so he slows down just enough to the speed limit, once he was past the cop he raced onto the off ramp and we were once again racing towards our school. You can see the navy and gold colored sign with big block letters reading: St. Anne Catholic High School. It was a big school but all schools in the city are big so I can't really justify. It was a nice looking basically brand new school with a pretty tan brick color and a nice light tan stucco around doors and windows which made it look more like a upscale shopping plaza then a school. Jacob makes a left into the school parking lot then slows down and drives carefully through the lot to the back, basically opposite of how he drove through our condo parking lot! I opened the large metal door and checked my watch, it read eight twenty five which means I have one minute to get to class. For some reason, classes started at eight twenty six which to me is an odd time but I can't change that so I jog up the stairs to the second floor saying bye to Jacob on the way. I don't remember classroom numbers so I remember third door on the right from back entrance up the stairs. Some people wonder why I find that easier but I just do. It makes more sense to me than trying to find room number 214. I mean where's 214 anyway. I open the door with my binder and pencil in hand and quietly find a seat near the front. I have bad eyesight but don't wish to wear glasses so I just sit near the front board. I understand lessons better that way anyway. First period is my favorite subject, English. I have always loved English from poetry to novels to anything related to English. But there is something I don't like about English this year and that's the teacher. Mrs. Walkworth. Mrs. Walkworth is most probably the meanest teacher at this school and I should know because it’s my last year here and I’ve had my fair share of mean teachers but this one tops it off. Saying Mrs. Walkworth in our school makes people cringe. I can honestly say that people egg her classroom window once a month not to mention her house. Nobody is allowed to say anything unless called upon. We are not allowed to get help from anyone at anytime and we never work in pairs or groups. Mrs. Walkworth thinks that working independently makes us smarter which I do agree with because we have to figure problems out on our own but we also need people skills to communicate in English but she doesn’t seem to think so. Mrs. Walkworth is about the total opposite from a people person. She probably lives in a cave wear nobody ever visits her or talks to her on the telephone or even e-mails her. Another reason people are scared of her is her punishments. For example, if you get caught chewing gum in her class she used the slap students across the face and dangle them out the window but since she’s not allowed to do that anymore, she makes the student stretch the gum over his or her face for the rest of the day, and when we have our next assembly, she makes the student chew five pieces of gum (at home of course) then stretch the five pieces over his or her entire body and make a one hundred word speech about not chewing gum in school and it also has to include how great Mrs. Walkworth is. The student then goes into detention for the next month. Yikes! And some people thought detention for a day was bad for chewing gum. Finally, the last reason why people don’t like her and are scared of her are because of the way she looks. Her face is all crinkled up and when she talks she has a raspy sound and her hands tremble with great strength. She weighs about one hundred pounds and she is very tall therefore extremely skinny and she always wears the same clothes. She owns three tops; a blue sleeveless one, a red t shirt that says teacher of the year 1989 and a very ugly faded purple sweater. I’m pretty sure she only wears one pair of pants and they are black with blue polka dots on them. No joke. Teens at our school seem to think she’s 90 years old but nobody knows for sure. Mrs. Walkworth begins with her lesson and tells us to read pages 80-199 for homework and complete a thirty question quiz for tomorrow. I guess we got off easy tonight. Usually it takes me about four hours each night for her homework and looking over what I have to do tonight it might only take a couple of hours. As soon as the bell rings in Mrs. Walkworth’s class, everybody runs out. Students have respect for all teachers besides her. Everyone waits patiently until the teacher says they are dismissed but in her class everyone literally runs! Down the stairs ahead for four classrooms, hang a left and it’s the second door on the right. That’s my next class. At noon thirty the bell rings for half of the school to have lunch. They built the cafeteria to only hold half of the school so it wouldn’t get out of control. I get in line to buy a salad and some pizza and I see our group sitting down at our usual table. Each member of our group is known for something they are good at, we all have different personalities and strengths so we complete each other. Our group includes; me (the English dude), Jacob (the jockey), Sam (the Intelligent one), Rob (the science geek), Nick (the mapmaker), Kyle (the rich kid), Alicia (the drama queen) and Jordan (the quiet kid). Everyday we sit at the same table with the same people and have done that since day one of this year. Some of us were friends last year but because of the two lunches we didn’t have the same lunch and you never have the same class with anybody you knew before so you make new subject buddies but those are just buds who you partner with during that subject. It’s the lunchtime friends who you hang with after school. Once we are all seated we talk about some teen stuff and decide what movie we should see this weekend. Every weekend or so we try to go to the movies together. It usually ends up being a big fight so we chose to become a democracy and vote each week what movie each of us wanted to see. People walk by our table and wonder what the bleep we’re doing but who cares, not us. We don’t need to act popular, we have our own friend group which we are already apart of. We don’t need to impress anybody, nobody does. We just be ourselves and we are friends for who we are not what we are trying to be. We decide on a movie and continue the discussions. By ten o clock that night I was exhausted by all of Mrs. Walkworth’s homework. Two of the questions were mini projects and took a lot longer than expected, by the time I was done it was midnight and I hadn’t even started on any of the other homework given by the other teachers. This is ridiculous I think to myself. How can she wreck the best subject in the world? I feel a blast of energy actually of hatred and I want to go throw a rock through her window but I’m better than that so I decide not to. I have about another hour of homework and I’m already tired, I better get to work. ******************************************** The white warm sand rubbing against my body soothingly. The colorful palm trees is all the rave. Crisp, clear refreshing ocean tumbling into the beach with great determination. All you see is beautiful people wearing nothing but beautiful bathing suits which they probably spent hours and hours trying to find something spectacular. I look back and see this magnificent hotel complex and all of the amenities I could possibly think of. The cool ocean breeze flows over my body while the sun beams light to give me a wonderful free tan. A perfect bronze with a hint of red which will turn to tan later. A nice refreshing glass of cola filled to the brim with crushed ice and of course the cool sun umbrella. This is so relaxing and wonderful. This is the life. Nothing can wreck this perfect moment. Wait, this is to good to be true. ARG. ARG. ARG. ARG. I wake up with such great hatred toward that stupid dream that I pull my alarm clock out of the wall socket and chuck it at my wall. My mom quickly rushes into my room to see what was up. "Sorry mom but I had that dream again, you know about the sand in some tropical place," I say apologetically. "Mark, you know I want to take you someplace but since your father died we haven't had much income coming in from my job to take you anywhere," mom replies. "I know, it's obviously not your fault and it's not mine either, I'm just tired of having that dream," I cry (not literally). Mom walks out of my room and I begin my daily wake up routine in which I do every school day. I am so fed up with that dream and I'm so fed up with Mrs. Bleeping Walk Bleeping Worth I could just go insane! I begin to shake and also begin to worry about my shaking. Am I going insane? I need to calm down. I put my iPod on and listen to my favorite music, that always seems to calm me down. ****** Once I get into Mrs. Walkworth's classroom I walk straight up to her and tell her, "You need to give out less homework. I was up to one o clock in the morning doing English, I can't stand you! You ruined my favorite subject and you're ruining everyone's lives!" I look around the classroom to see if anybody had heard what I said and they did. People began to clap for me once I finished. It felt really good to have everyone appreciate what I did. Mrs. Walkworth had an ugly look which I wanted but she didn't say anything , I kind of wanted a detention or write a speech then I could slip some information to all the students and teachers watching but she said nothing. I stared at her looking like I wanted an answer and then she sighed, "I have been giving out a lot of homework lately and I'm really sorry class. My husband left a few months ago and I've been really upset. The reason I've been upset since I've been at this school is because my brother got to go to a better university than I did then became what I wanted to become, a doctor. My parents forced me to become a teacher and I hated it so I decided that I would take it out on the students I was forced to teach, I am so sorry to you all," says Mrs. Walkworth with flowing tears. Everybody is silenced. I walk up to and give her a big hug. I don't know why we are all such jerks. This poor lady has gone through heck and back and here I am lecturing her about her teaching. Everyone that threw a rock at her window or egged her window should be ashamed. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Walkworth, I had no idea, I was so selfish," I say crying (literally this time). Usually when a boy cries at school he is made fun of but not today, I look around the room and everyone including the boys had tears. We were so mean to her behind her back and everyone felt so bad. "I think everyone in this classroom including me should be ashamed of themselves, now let's move on with today's work. I promise I will not give out as much homework any more. Heck, tonight, no homework," says Mrs. Walkworth with a smile for once. Applause fills the room again but this time it was for a good reason. You should never judge a book by the cover or the homework it (she) gives out. By the end of the school day everybody knew the Mrs. Walkworth story and teens from all over were coming up to her apologizing for what they did and she also apologized to everyone that came up to her. It was a happy day at St. Anne's today. It should be like a holiday or something, Mrs. Walkworth is like happy and like oh my goodness we should celebrate. Once I got home I saw my mom lying down on the couch crying, I wonder what is wrong. I ask immediately and she says that she was upset about Dad dying and she can't pull herself together. "Mom, we have to get over this. Yes it's sad but life goes on," I say sweetly. "You’re never going to be able to go on your trip though," cried mom. "You don't know that, never have doubt," I say with pride for some weird reason. Mom sits up and I sit next to her on the couch and to my surprise I see a commercial. WOW! A commercial, haven't seen one of those since like the last time I watched television but this commercial was calling out to me. I watched intently; Are you smart? Do you want to go to Mexico? Do you live in Toronto or in the GTA? Then send your information to 178 B....... "Mom, can you believe this, last night in my dream I saw a sign saying Mexico, that's where my dream is taking place, this is a huge sign! " I yell excitedly as I jump up and down. I log onto my computer and find the website, there I print out the information sheet that needs to be filled out. Of course I could do it over the net but I don't trust all of those freaks who want my information. With a black pen I write down everything from my age to my address to my hobbies to my IQ. I fold the pieces of paper two times and neatly stuff it into the envelope and lick it closed. "Do you want me to take you to the post office right now? I have to get some groceries anyway," mom calls from the living room. She is now not crying and actually excited and happy. She wants to see me happy which of course I am. I open the large mail bin flap and slip the letter proudly into the box and close the movable door. I put a big smile on my face and walk back into the car. I think about going to Mexico and all the great fun I'll have. I wonder weather I should take mom or Jacob? I get into the car and ask, "Mom let's say that I get accepted onto the show and I win the trip to Mexico, I can bring a guest. I want to bring you but I think it would be more fun with Jacob, no offence," I say hoping that she'll say okay take Jacob. "I want you to have fun on this vacation but I also want you to be safe in a foreign country. I have an idea, how about you take Jacob as your guest then I fly down with you guys and stay in your room. You can totally ignore me if you'd like," she says. "Mom, wouldn't that be kind of awkward, can just me and Jacob go, I mean I probably won't get on to the show but if I do?" I ask. "Mark, I don't know, I'm going to have to think about it and if and when you do win I'll give you an answer," explains mom and I nod with agreement. I really don't want my mom in the room with Jacob and I, it would be really awkward but then I think that I'm probably not going to win anyway so I blow it off. In the night I don't dream the same vacation dream that I usually dream, this time I dream that I am all alone in the hotel looking for Jacob who seems to be lost, I can't find him then I wake up. I decide not to tell mom about the dream because then she would say it was a sign and that I'm defiantly not going. It can't be a sign, I mean come on, it's just a dream. Weird things happen in dreams all of the time. Nothing actually happens. But what if it is a sign? What if I do win and I go with Jacob and he goes missing? I start to get nervous and then shake my head which seemed to relax my nerves. There's probably more to the story I mean dream than what I saw last night. Maybe tonight I will dream the dream again but I find him at the restaurant or the pool or oh I have to call Jacob. I pick up the phone and dial Jacob's cell number. I don't care how early it is, I need to talk to him about this ordeal. "Hi Jacob, ummm.. were do I begin? I saw this television commercial last night about a new game show coming to Toronto so I sent an application form in and if you win you get to go to Mexico with a friend and ummm... I had this dream last night that we were in the hotel and you were erere missing. I know it's just a dream but for the last oh I can't even remember I've been having this dream that I'm in this warm tropical place and I have it over and over each night basically until last night when I had the dream about you being missing. I feel it's the next part of the story. This is really weird and it's kind of really freaking me out. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen," I say with a shake in my voice, it felt so good to tell Jacob this whole story and I hope he has some advice. "Listen Mark, it's just a dream and it's really early in the morning and boy you have a lot of energy to ahhahhahmmm sorry I yawn a lot at this time in the morning but anyway don't worry about it and I'll see you at eight, bye," says Jacob with a serious sleepy voice. "Bye," I add. I press end on my cell phone and get ready to go to school. I hop into the shower and put the temperature to warm which I usually do because I love warm water and my favorite part of the day is my shower, it's so relaxing and calming and nothing bothers me in the shower. All my worries seem to float away in the shower but as soon I as I get out all of the worries and thoughts fly back into my head and I begin to worry again. I worry a lot actually. It's basically like a disorder and I can't help but worry what is to come and worry if something I did in the past is going to hurt me in any way. I dry off quickly realizing that I had a really long shower but I forgave myself because I knew I really needed it. I go and put on my uniform which actually looks quite good on me and who can argue the fact that you don't have to buy all of the top names to fit in because everyone has to wear the same level of clothing, also there is no grubby kids that wear an old ratty shirt or you know those emo kids with their black and depressive clothes. Nope just everyone the same and that's the way I like it. I open the box of Frosted Flakes which is my all time favorite cereal. Splash some 1% on them and eat away. I love it so much that once I'm done I pour myself another bowl. Mom walks in and gives me a quick smile then heads for her coffee. Don't mess with mom when she hasn't got her coffee in her, I don't really understand why coffee is the liquid God of everybody. If you have ever been to Canada or you know, live here, then you know that there is a place called Tim Hortons on every on other street corner. It's insane! And even with all of the locations, there is still a huge lineup at each one. Canadians like their coffee eh?! I tried it a couple of times but no matter how old I get my taste buds just reject that awful taste. I don't need coffee anyway because I usual wake up and I am ready to go in just a few minutes. I walk over to the television which either showed me my vacation was possible or that Jacob being lost was possible so I wasn't sure whether to hug it or kick it so I decided to do neither. If the television production company asks for me to be on the show, I can just recline but I really want to go to Mexico and now I am finally getting a chance to go somewhere I have been waiting to go for 17 years, but do I want to go to Mexico so badly that I'm willing to lose a friend over it? No, it was just a dream. Jacob even said so. I have to stop this worrying, I really do. The phone rings, actually it vibrates. I bring my cell to school and to make sure that teachers don't know I turn vibrate on before I even get into the school. I open the flap and see that it's Jacob so I press Talk which is in green lettering then say, "hello, Jacob? What's up?" "Oh nothing much I was calling to say that I was sorry for being a jerk this morning on the phone and I really appreciate you taking me as your guest, it means a lot. I thought you'd take your mom or something. I really hope that you win, Mexico sounds like fun!" says Jacob with an excited tone. "Jacob, I'll tell you the whole story in the car, well there's actually not much more to it but I don't want to waste your minutes so we can wait. See you soon," I smile into the phone hoping that he can see that I'm smiling and not frowning on the inside because now Jacob really wants to go but he doesn't want my mom going I know that for sure. But if Jacob and I go alone then what happens when Jacob gets lost if he really does. Oh my, I really need to stop worrying about this whole situation and I really need to spend more time looking over my homework. Every single day in the morning even though I think I have the answers right I still go through every thing and check them. You never know when you make a mistake that can be easily fixed. I really care about my marks so I do this on a regular basis. I look up on the microwave clock and see that it is seven fifty five therefore I should probably head down to the parking lot now. I really want to tell Jacob about everything. I need someone I can trust besides my mom because I know what she'll decide and I really do want to go to Mexico so, yes I'll tell Jacob and if he thinks that we shouldn't go and it is a sign then we won't. Done, and now I don't have to think about it till Jacob wants the whole story. I see Jacob come out of the thirty story building at ground level and he waves his large hand. He yells from a distance and I can barely hear him but what I make out from the words are, "Mark, I want you to tell me everything." I motion for Jacob to come letting him know that we need to be in the car to talk. I don't need a bunch of strangers hearing about my crazy weirdo dreams. Jacob walks up to the car and gets him. I follow suit. "So what's the whole story?" asks Jacob putting the SUV into reverse. "Listen Jacob, I just want to know deep down if you think having that dream where you were lost was a sign or not. Also my mom does want to go; but not with me, on her own. She wants me to take you and still come so we can be safe. I didn't even tell her about the dream and she still says that," I explain. "No I don't think it's a sign and it would be really weird having your mom there. Would she be in a different room though?" asks Jacob wanting a certain answer that sadly I cannot give him. "Sadly, she wants to stay in the same room and can't afford to stay in a different room," I say staring into the deep and confusing eyes of my best friend. "Oh, well, I was just wondering what you felt. How do you feel about this Mark?" quizzes Jacob. "I'll go if I win, if you want to that is, but no, I don't want my mom there either so, yeah. I guess that's the whole story. See, I told you it wasn't very long," I say. We pull up to the St. Anne parking lot and I can't help but wonder whether or not people will still be talking about Mrs. Walkworth. Of course not, I mean this is high school were there is a different story everyday. Everyone will be talking about something different by now, it's been one whole day which means half of the students here would have forgotten it. The other half just wouldn't care anymore. Old news is looked down upon and it wasn't even a big deal anyway. I mean once a famous celebrity came to our school because she went here when she was in high school and by the next day people weren't giving a fuss about what had happened a day before. I wonder if Mrs. Walkworth is going to give a lot of work again today. If she does than I know what to say. "Hello Mrs. Walkworth. It's a loving morning out isn't now?" I ask Mrs. Walkworth as I walk into her classroom with a big smile. "A wonderful day indeed. I feel absolutely amazing," smiles Mrs. Walkworth and right then and there I knew she wasn't going to give out a lot of homework. "Take your seats everyone. Today you are going to have homework. I thought about it last night and I decided to give you the same amount of homework that every other teacher gives you, well besides for the physical education class. I actually called the University of Toronto and got a hold of the English teacher there. She is one of my best friends. I'll tell you a story actually: When I was forced to go to teacher college, I hated it but made one friend in particular there. Her name is Mrs. Jenkins. She was the smartest student in the whole school and once she graduated she got to pick what level of schooling she wanted to teach at and what school. She picked University because it pays the highest and at University of Toronto which is the closest University to her house. So I was talking to her about how much homework she gives out in a night and what she said shocked me when she said one half hour of homework. Be aware this is University homework so it's pretty difficult but only one half hour. After talking to Mrs. Jenkins I got on the phone with other grade twelve teachers and found out that they each gave you one half hour for their subjects so all in all I decided to cut the homework load down for you guys and you better thank me." "Thank-you Mrs. Walkworth," everybody in the whole class yells in unity. It sounded really good to tell you the truth because it was not planned or anything. All the students in my class just decided about three seconds after she finished her last words to say thank-you. I and probably many other students were relieved. I might actually have a life now instead of my life being Mrs. Walkworth's homework. I look to the left of me and see the most beautiful girl in the whole school. All year I've been looking back and forth at her and her long straight blonde hair. Her complexion is light brown and looks as though she goes to a tanning salon once in a while. She has absolutely no acne and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. Her name is Julie Appleton and she is also the most richest kid at our school. She always has a boyfriend buying her flowers or taking her to the movies or taking her out to dinner. I mean no wonder she's so rich, everyone is buying things for her. I also wondered what it would be like to go on a date with her. It would probably cost all my life savings to impress her which I am not willing to give up. Julie looks over and sees me staring at her. I quickly dart my head over into the other direction pretending I was starring at the posters on the wall. I slowly turn the other direction to see if she's still looking at me in disgust but to my surprise when I look at her she's starring at me, not with a frown but with a smile. I smile back then look back at Mrs. Walkworth who is trying to teach a lesson. I feel a nudge on my arm. I look over and see it's a note, Julie is giving me a note. She only gives notes to her best friends and crushes. Maybe it just went through her to me. She probably didn't write it. I open the folded piece of paper to read in beautiful hand writing; I saw you starring at me Mark so I starred back. I have a boyfriend but I like you to. Love Julie. Oh my goodness, it was from Julie. I automatically look at Julie and blow her a kiss. She blows one back but before the imaginary kiss gets to me, Mrs. Walkworth stands beside our desks and says, "quit interrupting me you love birds!" Uh-oh. Mrs. Walkworth just blew it and now the whole class is going to know then spread it to the rest of the school and her boyfriend goes to this school and he happens to be on the wrestling team and football team and a heavy weightlifter. He could probably lift me up in one arm, throw me into the air and punch me down. I'm dead! I take a big gulp and hear murmurs from the class and know for sure that I'm dead. I can't believe this. I begin to cry on the inside but I don't dare show any emotion on the outside. Out of the blue, Julie stands up and stares at everyone talking to each other about what just happened and says, " enough already! I obviously don't like this guy and I love my boyfriend, I was just making him feel good." I swear a tear began to come down my cheek so I wiped it off with my hand. This is the lowest I have ever felt in my entire life. I want to go lay down and die somewhere before I want to keep on going with this day. I thought for sure that Julie liked me but I guess she was just trying to make me feel good. I should have known that I'm not the type of person that she would go out with. I'm so stupid. By lunch, every single person was talking about what happened. Well at least I was right about everyone will be over the Mrs. Walkworth thing but for once in my life I wish I was wrong because now all of the hype is about me and it doesn't feel good. "Hey Mark, you better watch out. I think Steve is coming in soon. You're so dead man. I really want to see this," says a person who I have never met before but now everyone knows who I am so it really doesn't matter if I know them. Gulp. I see Steve who by the way is Julie's boyfriend if you haven't figured that one out yet. He looks angry which is perfectly normal when you want to cream a little person like me. Actually I'm not little and I workout and all it's just that Steve is like the next Terminator so I don't really have a chance. His group of friends follow behind him, all are smaller than him but I guess look up to him for some reason and follow him around all of the time. This is just perfect. I want to run but I know that he would catch me or one of his friends would catch me then probably do worst things. I call over Jacob to sit with me so at least I will have someone sort of big to fend for me. He quickly runs over and sits down just in time for Steve to say something. "Hey scrawny! I heard that you were trying to steal my girlfriend!" Steve shouts with anger. My palms are like puddles of water floating on top of my skin so I rub them onto my pants and wish myself luck. " Well she doesn't like me so what's your point?" I ask with uncertainty. "My point is that nobody tries to take my girl," Steve says with great power. He unzips his sweater to reveal his muscle shirt underneath. I guess he was trying to get some attention when he put up his biceps and flexed for the students to see. His muscles were huge and I wondered how many hours he spent at a gym or if he took steroids. Cheers came from around the cafeteria, mostly from girls but some guys also cheered for the sake of him attacking me to a pulp. He walks over right to my face and punches me across my cheek. Blood is spurting everywhere and with great power I stand up and punch him right back right in the same place where he punched me. Nothing happened to him of course but all of my friends take me back to my seat. I see blood all over and feel very dizzy and I want to throw up. I see that Steve is just touching his cheek like it just stung a little but I could see inside that it really did hurt him. That made me feel a bit better but what made me feel worse was that Steve took his hand away from his cheek and screamed, "I win!" He also flexed his unusually large biceps again to show that he was the ruler of the school and that if anyone tried to mess with him they would be bleeding. "I hate him so much," I said between heavy breaths. "We all do," said Jacob with a sigh. I wished I was dead again so when my group of friends went to their classes and I was stuck alone that I wouldn't be tortured. The end of lunch bell rang just at the time when I didn't want it to ring. I began to cry but didn't care because I deserved a cry. I was humiliated in front of the whole school and punched by the strongest guy around. I was in serious pain so I got up and walked out of the cafeteria toward the nurses office. I open the door trying to get away from the crowds of people wanting to ask what happened and how I felt. The nurse walked over to me and grabbed some tissues, put them over my face and told me to sit down. "What happened to you?" the nurse asked wondering what the heck happened. "Long story," I replied without enthusiasm. "Well your not going back to class so I have time and you have time," the nurse replies trying to sneak an answer out of me. "Okay, I might as well tell you because if I don't then any other kid in the school will and he or she might change it so it's probably better if I tell the truth about what happened. It all started this morning when Julie and I were caught passing notes and blah blah blah and Mrs. Walkworth said something in front of the class which I forget what but anyway everyone in the class told everyone in the school and everyone in the school includes Julie's boyfriend who has a very bad temper by the way and at lunch he made a big deal about his muscles and then punched me and then showed off his muscles again then left and the end of lunch bell rang and now I'm here," I told the nurse. "Steve Richardson punched you? You're still talking? You're still breathing? Wow," replies the nurse obviously shocked. "You know who Julie is and who her boyfriend is and his last name and what Julie I was talking about?" I said astonished. "Well I know the popular people because they always come in here to skip class and they always talk about their life. I don't get mad at them because it's sort of my hobby to hear all of the problems in the school and who's dating who," the nurse says with a smile. "Right," I reply slowly pronouncing each letter. "Steve is huge, I mean he's always at my gym and I talk to people who were there before me and they say that he was there before they got there and it's pretty unbelievable. He sure gets his gym membership money out of it that's for sure. To tell you the truth I don't think he's on steroids which is very surprising considering his strength," the nurse wonders. "I really don't want to leave this room. I really don't feel like being bothered right now. I just want to stay in this chair till everybody leaves then ride the city bus home in a very large coat where nobody will notice me," I say in a depressing tone. The nurse’s nameplate flashes its golden letters at me. It says “Paddy”. Paddy begins to laugh, I look at her. "People might think that your a terrorist," nurse Paddy replies. "Fine, then can you tell Jacob to wait for me after school until everyone else leaves then we can go home?" I ask Paddy hoping that she will say yes and that I won't have to face my fears. "Sure." I put a very large smile on my face.

Retin A? Does it help sun damage? My dermatologist just prescribed Retin A for me. I am 36, still have nice skin, but spent a lot of time in the sun as a teen and into my 20's. I want to get on a good skin care program to prevent future damage and so I age well. I do not have wrinkles yet. After using it only a few days my face was burning- like on fire. I was peeling...ouch. I stopped and had to slather Vitamin E cream all over to help with the dryness. My skin is pretty much through that stage now- it does feel tighter and feels pretty good now, but really really dry. I have heard that Retin A is for acne, though. I do not have acne. Has this helped anyone? Just curious to hear input from those who have used it. Thanks.

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